How Putin views the choice between Harris and Trump, and what the election means for Russia

The question posed to Vladimir Putin in September about the U.S. election drew a wry smile and an arched eyebrow from the Russian president.

Asked whether he preferred Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, Putin caught listeners up short with his teasing reply that also included a gentle jab at President Joe Biden.

“Our ‘favorite,’ if you can call it that, was the current president, Mr. Biden," he told the audience at an economic forum in the Far East port of Vladivostok.

"But he was removed from the race, and he recommended all his supporters to support Ms. Harris. Well, we will do so — we will support her,” he said sardonically, citing her “expressive and infectious laugh” that shows “she’s doing well.”

The election Tuesday carries significant stakes for the Kremlin, and despite Putin's noncommittal and somewhat teasing answer, it appeared to encapsulate Russia's view as a choice between two unappealing possibilities.

Analysts say neither offers much promise of improving relations that have hit their lowest point since the Cold War.

Harris, the current vice president, has taken a hard line against Russia, while Trump, the former president, is known for his admiration of Putin. Still, at the September gathering, Putin complained that when Trump was in office, there were “so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia like no other president has ever introduced before him.”

Timothy Colton of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies said that the Kremlin leadership is "by and large convinced nothing good is going to come in the election from Russia’s point of view.”

But he added that on the whole, Trump "is probably their preference; he’s more of a known quantity.”

Key issues for Russia as the U.S. election looms:

Harris is seen as likely to continue the Biden administration's massive military and economic support for Ukraine as Russia's invasion stretches toward a third year.

Trump has bragged that his rapport with Putin and respect from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are so strong that he could negotiate an end to the war “in 24 hours.” He declines to detail his strategy, but recent remarks criticizing sanctions in general suggest he could lift those against Russia as an inducement to help settle the conflict.

During their debate, Trump twice refused to directly answer whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war, while Harris praised Western support for Kyiv and urged it to continue.

“Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe. Starting with Poland,” she said.

Trump's running-mate Sen. JD Vance has mentioned proposals that could suggest Trump's thinking: having Ukraine demilitarize territory occupied by Russia and agree to permanent neutrality. Those terms would be anathema to Kyiv, but Trump has shown little sympathy for Ukraine, saying Zelenskyy “should never have let that war start.”

Harris has not specified how her position would differ from Biden's. The U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $59.5 billion in weapons and assistance since Russia invaded in 2022. She has said previously it would be foolish to risk global alliances the U.S. has established and decried Putin’s “brutality.”

A Harris win “likely promises continued U.S. support as long at the administration can maintain congressional backing,” the International Crisis Group said in a commentary, though it said she could seek an end to the fighting more actively than Biden did. Growing congressional animosity to vast outlays of aid for Ukraine could hobble or reshape her strategy.

Harris has confronted Russia directly on such matters, particularly in the case of the death in prison of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. She was among the first foreign leaders to comment on his death, calling it “a further sign of Putin’s brutality.”

Trump put off comment for days, then did not connect Putin to the matter. He likened Navalny’s punishment to his own fraud prosecution, calling his case “a form of Navalny.”

Trump has called for a bill declaring there to be only two genders and pledged to keep transgender women out of women’s sports — positions that parallel how Russia under Putin has rolled back LGBTQ+ rights and lauded “traditional values.”

His characterization of Democrats and his rivals as “the enemy within” is little different in spirit than Russia's accelerating suppression of opposition.

Trump has wrestled with other members of the NATO alliance, demanding that they meet the agreed spending levels for their militaries in their national budgets. He said that as president, he warned leaders that he would not only refuse to defend nations that don’t meet those targets, but that Russia could “do whatever the hell they want” to such countries.

Trump also has questioned the NATO charter's mutual-defense clause, asking in an interview why the United States should be obliged to defend the “very aggressive people” of NATO member Montenegro.

Harris says the United States' commitment to NATO is “ironclad.” She has not weighed in on whether she supports Ukraine becoming an alliance member.

Putin has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword as he seeks to deter the West from supporting Ukraine.

The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Moscow and Washington, New START, is to expire in 2026. a year after the new administration takes office, and its prospects are troubled.

Biden renewed the treaty quickly upon taking office, and Harris could be expected to follow that support for the pact that limits the number of intercontinental nuclear missile launchers.

Russia suspended participation in 2023 — although it did not withdraw — and the U.S. retaliated with measures including halting the sharing of information on missiles' location and status.

Trump, although he has warned of the threat of “nuclear warming,” took steps while in office to dismantle the arms control regime, including pulling out of the INF Treaty on intermediate-range nuclear weapons — which banned ground-based nuclear and conventional missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometers (310-3,410 miles),

While in office, Trump called for a new nuclear pact that would include both Russia and China.

FILE - In this image provided by the Office of the Ukrainian Presidency, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, is watched by Rich Hansen, the commander's representative for the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, while signing military ordnance in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Sept. 22, 2024. (Office of the Ukrainian Presidency via AP, File)

FILE - U.S. President Joe Biden, center, with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, front second left, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, front left, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, front second right, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, right, and other world leaders pose at the launch of the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukrainian Recovery and Reconstruction, on Sept. 25, 2024, in New York. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden, center left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center right, speak at an event with NATO leaders on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington on July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - Former President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, on Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

FILE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pose for pictures at the end of a news conference at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 17, 2024. (Tobias Schwarz/Pool via AP, File)

FILE – Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, speaks during a campaign rally at Greensboro Coliseum, on Oct. 22, 2024, in Greensboro, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

FILE – Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, speaks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Aug. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

FILE - This combination of file photos shows Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, left, speaking at a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Oct. 26, 2024, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, right, speaking during a campaign rally on Oct. 22, 2024, in Greensboro, North Carolina. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - From left: TV presenter for "Russia 24" Alexandra Suvorova, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and China's Vice President Han Zheng attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sept. 5, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin applauds during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sept. 5, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifteen years after little Anthony Volpe watched the Yankees parade with the World Series trophy, he saved their season and kept alive hopes for an improbable title.

New York had moved closer to getting swept in the World Series when Freddie Freeman hit another first-inning home run.

Volpe, a New York native whose family idolizes the pinstripes going back generations, turned on a knee-high slider and perhaps reshaped the Series, too. His third-inning grand slam sparked the Yankees to an 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night that forced a Game 5.

“The place was shaking. I felt the ground literally shaking,” Yankees catcher Austin Wells said.

Wells and Gleyber Torres added homers for the Yankees, who broke open the game with a five-run eighth.

New York, which had scored just seven runs in the first three games, had some of its swagger back. Wells spoke after the game wearing a “Fully Operational Death Star” Yankees T-shirt, referring to general manager Brian Cashman's 2018 quip.

Fans in the sellout crowd of 49,354 chanted Volpe's name during the ninth inning.

“It’s like you finally got to see the top blow off Yankee Stadium in a World Series game,” Aaron Boone said after his first World Series win as New York's manager. “When Anthony hits that ball, it was like fun to see Yankee Stadium erupt.”

Wells said the dire situation after Monday's loss had relieved the pressure.

“Why not go out tomorrow and have fun?” he described as the mood.

Freeman homered for his sixth straight Series game when he deposited a slider from rookie Luis Gil into the right-field short porch following Mookie Betts’ one-out double. He became the first player to homer in the first four games of a World Series and his streak of long balls in six straight games is one more than Houston’s George Springer 2017 and ’19.

“I'll look back on it after hopefully we win and get this thing done tomorrow,” Freeman said. “Pretty cool. Obviously, hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow.”

Game 5 is Wednesday night, with the Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and the Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty meeting in a rematch of Game 1.

Seeking to become the first team to overcome a 3-0 Series deficit, New York surged ahead 5-2 on Alex Verdugo’s RBI grounder in the second and Volpe’s drive against Daniel Hudson.

“All it takes is just one swing,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said.

Volpe sent Hudson's first pitch into the left-field seats.

“I pretty much blacked out as soon as I saw it go over the fence," Volpe said.

A Gold Glove shortstop in his second big league season, the 23-year-old Volpe also doubled and became the first player in Series history with a grand slam and a pair of stolen bases in one game. He was 8 when the Yankees last won the Series.

Volpe scored New York’s first run when he walked after falling behind 0-2 in the second inning. He made a baserunning blunder when he headed back to second to tag up and failed to score on Wells' double off the center-field wall — pounding his own leg in anger. Verdugo followed with an RBI grounder.

“They’re going to fight,” Betts said. “If you made it this far, you have a resilient team that’s going to fight the whole time.”

Los Angeles closed within 6-4 in a two-run fifth that included Will Smith's homer off Gil and an RBI grounder by Freeman. Despite a sprained right ankle, Freeman beat a relay to avoid an inning-ending double play on what originally was ruled an out but was reversed in a video review.

Wells hit a second-deck homer in the sixth against Landon Knack, and Verdugo added another run-scoring grounder in the eighth — capping an 11-pitch at-bat — ahead of Torres' three-run homer off Brent Honeywell.

Tim Hill, winning pitcher Clay Holmes, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver and Tim Mayza strung together five innings of one-hit scoreless relief with seven strikeouts, and the Yankees avoided what would have been their first losing Series sweep since 1976.

“As far as outcomes, to have six guys in your ’pen that are feeling good, rested, I feel good about that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Twenty-one of the previous 24 teams to take 3-0 Series leads went on to sweeps, all but the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics against the Chicago Cubs, the 1937 Yankees against the New York Giants and the 1970 Baltimore Orioles against the Cincinnati Reds. All three of those Series ended in five games.

The 2004 Boston Red Sox, sparked by a stolen base by Roberts, are the only team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in any round, beating the Yankees in the AL Championship Series.

Judge drove in his first run of the Series with an RBI single in the eighth and is 2 for 15 in the four games. Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani also is 2 for 15 after going 1 for 4 with a single, his first hit since partially separating his left shoulder in Game 2.

New York stopped a seven-game Series losing streak against the Dodgers dating to 1981. The Yankees got their first seven RBIs from the bottom three hitters in their batting order, Volpe, Wells and Verdugo, who had entered 4 for 32 with three RBIs in the Series.

Volpe was interviewed after the game by former Yankees captain Derek Jeter, now a Fox broadcaster.

“It’s my dream, but it was all my friends’ dreams, all my cousins’ dreams, probably my sister’s dream, too. But winning the World Series was first and foremost. by far. Nothing else compares. So still got a lot of work to do,” Volpe said.

Former Boston star David Ortiz, also a Fox commentator, gave Volpe a shirt.

“I’ve got it in my locker,” Volpe said. “I can’t wear it. It’s got him and Red Sox stuff on it.”

UP NEXT

Cole allowed one run over six-plus innings in the opener -- Kiké Hernández tripled in the fifth as right fielder Juan Soto took a poor route, then scored on Smith’s sacrifice fly. Flaherty gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings, a two-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe (11) and Gleyber Torres celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo, left, Aaron Judge, center, and Juan Soto celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton (27) and Juan Soto celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo (24), Aaron Judge and Juan Soto celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 11-4. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe reacts after scoring against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Austin Wells hits home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman hits a two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman celebrates his two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates after hitting a grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates his grand slam home run with Aaron Judge against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates his grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe hits a grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates his grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)